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Should you buy shares in DCC?

The high profit of joined-up thinking

DCC is an old-fashioned diversified conglomerate providing business support services across the energy, IT, healthcare and food industries. The company, which has about 4,700 employees, also provides technology services through its SerCom Solutions division; supplies fuel to domestic and commercial customers through its Emo subsidiary; and has a house-building joint venture called Manor Park Homebuilders.

It was founded 30 years ago by Jim Flavin, its current chief executive, who was at the centre of a marathon four-year insider-trading case brought by the fruit distributor Fyffes. DCC was formerly a significant shareholder in Fyffes and Flavin a director. Flavin would have breathed a temporary sigh of relief recently when the High Court ruled in his favour, only for Fyffes to announce it would be appealing to the Supreme Court. It could be 12 months before the case is heard.

DCC will publish full-year results next month, with analysts predicting a solid